Living Well With Persistent Pain: The Role of Occupational Therapy

Persistent pain affects every part of a person’s daily life—from movement and concentration to work, family roles, and the ability to participate in meaningful activities. Occupational therapy chronic pain management takes a practical, compassionate, and evidence-informed approach to help people understand, manage, and adapt. Lucy’s role as an Occupational Therapist is to help clients understand and reduce or eliminate their pain, rebuild confidence, and re-engage in the everyday tasks that give life meaning. 

Lucy draws on modern, research-backed approaches such as Pain Science Education, Graded Motor Imagery (GMI), and Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT). While these frameworks offer different tools, Lucy’s strength is in translating them into personalised strategies that fit each person’s unique routines, goals, and environments.

Occupational Therapy Chronic Pain Management: How It Works

  1. Helping clients understand their pain
    Lucy uses clear, relatable explanations to help people make sense of why pain can persist, even after tissues have healed. By exploring how the nervous system becomes sensitive over time, she helps reduce fear and uncertainty.Her education feels practical and grounded—always linked back to a client’s day-to-day experiences. 
  2. Rebuilding confidence in movement and activity
    Lucy incorporates principles from GMI to help clients gradually reconnect with movement in ways that feel safe. She embeds this into meaningfultasks—whether that’s lifting a kettle, doing school drop-off, or returning to hobbies—so that progress feels achievable and relevant. 
  3. Supporting new responses to pain
    Drawing on PRT principles, Lucy helps clients notice their thoughts, emotions, and triggers around pain. She works with them to build more confident, calm responses,shifting from fear and avoidance toward a sense of safety and capability. Her approach is gentle, validating, and grounded in real-life application. 
  4. Adjusting routines and environments
    Persistent pain can disrupt sleep, work, self-care, and leisure. Lucy collaborates with clients toadapt their routines, environments, and habits so daily life becomes more manageable. She helps people find rhythms and strategies that support participation rather than limit it. 
  5. Supporting emotional and social wellbeing
    Lucy understands that pain affects far more than the body. She helps clients navigate changes in identity, roles, relationships, and mood through problem-solving, pacing, and practical coping skills. She ensures treatment reflects the whole person—not just their pain.

Why Lucy’s OT Role Matters in Pain Care 

Lucy’s practice sits at the intersection of evidence and everyday life. Pain Science Education, GMI, and PRT provide powerful tools, but real change happens when these concepts are integrated into the activities, environments, and relationships that shape someone’s daily reality. 

By blending contemporary pain knowledge with her client-centred approach, Lucy empowers people to regain confidence, reconnect with meaningful occupations, and move toward a life with greater freedom, function, and wellbeing. 

Occupational therapy chronic pain management – therapist and client conversation

Article written by,

Lucy Ruttiman
Mental Health Endorsed Occupational Therapist
Pain Reprocessing Therapy Certified Therapist
Thriving Lives Co.
Bungalow, Cairns

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